However Much They Fight
by Dark Mouse
Summary: Alfred is bored by his life as a pet, and so he decides to run away from home along with his friends, Feliciano and Feliks. However, upon meeting the tough and wild alley-cat Arthur and his gang, everything changes... USUK, Nekotalia AU
1. Midnight

**_Authors note: _**_Hey everybody!_

_ Well... I havent seen this done yet (but that means nothing because I never use LiveJournal, which seems to be where an awful lot of APH fanfiction is posted). So, guess what? I thought I'd do it. For fun, you know. Dont hurt me._

_I do not own Hetalia/Nekotalia. Nuh uh -shakes head-_

_Enjoy!_

**However much they fight**

**Chapter one**

_"When something is missing in your life, it usually turns out to be someone." ~_Robert Brault

* * *

It was dark in the alleyway. The tall, greyish buildings were illuminated only by a single streetlamp that flickered dully in the middle of the street, casting light onto the crude graffiti that covered the walls. A pigeon rummaged through a pile of bin bags. Other than that, all was still, and the night washed over the place in waves. Somewhere, a dog barked, and suddenly, something moved. A cat was hurrying through the shadows, its tail low, its eyes flashing a brilliant green. Its ears flopped over its face like that of a puppy as it waked with its head down, its body language screaming fear and hostility at anybody who might pass by. It reached the end of the street and stopped at the corner. Its tail lashed around its feet.

Out of the darkness stepped another cat, then another, then another, until six cats now stood with the first one. The first cat sat down to wash itself almost self-consciously, licking carefully between each of its toes with a tiny pink tongue. One of the other cats stepped towards it. It was a large cat- not fat, but fluffy, its long white fur bright in the darkness, its tail curled behind it like a peacock feather. Its whiskers twitched with mirth as it began to speak.

"You know, being stylishly late is one thing, but this is just ridiculous, no? As our leader, I would expect you to arrive at least roughly on time, unless of course you were preoccupied with _other _matters?"

"Ha ha, very amusing," snapped the first cat. "You know, Francis, there is a time and a place for, erm, _mating _jokes, but now is not that time, and I would appreciate it if idiots like you could keep their mouths shut. Or die. Preferably the latter, actually."

Francis looked as if he was about to retaliate, but he merely dipped his head and glared at the first cat as a large grey tom came hurrying over.

"Are you sure about this, Arthur? Ivan's is one of the strongest gangs in the city. If we lose this battle, we are risking total eradication. There is still time to reconsider and rescue him another time." he said quietly. Arthur flicked his tail irritably at him.

"Don't be stupid. I appreciate what you are saying, but this has gone too far. Those bastards have one of our finest fighters. We need him back, and we are most certainly going to get him back whether you like it or not, Ludwig. We cant afford to lose anyone else. We already lost Gilbert... I dont want anybody else to die, not anymore.'

Ludwig looked at him, and then nodded stiffly.

"I thought you might say that. Very well. Just... make sure you're careful."

Arthur snorted and stretched. Understanding that the conversation was over, Ludwig turned his gaze to the next street, squinting into the darkness. Arthurs fur prickled. There was a definite sense of danger in the air now, and all seven cats seemed suddenly tense.

"We're being watched," muttered a black and white tom. There was a single tuft of fur sticking out from the top of his head, and it bobbed a little as he spoke, giving away his nervous gulp. The she-cat beside him growled in agreement. Arthur hissed angrily at them, and they fell silent immediately.

And that was when the first attacker leapt out of the shadows.

* * *

Alfred rolled over onto his back, already bored. His owner, a young Japanese man called Kiku, had gone to work, leaving his cats in front of a glowing box which seemed to be full of fish. After establishing that there was no way into the box, however, Alfred had found himself losing interest, and now merely watched lazily as his friend Feliciano patted at the fish. The latter was still convinced that there was a way to get into the box, and seemed to think that if he kept swiping at it then perhaps it would open. Maybe he was right. Alfred couldnt be bothered to care.

"I'm bored," he complained loudly, his tail swishing across the tatami-covered floor. Feliciano turned to him, surprise and worry written all over his face.

"Whyyyy? This is fun, right? Right?" he mewed. Alfred sighed.

"No, it isnt. I mean, yeah, but a hero like me needs... more adventure, you know? I mean, every day's the same! We wake up, we eat, we play, we nap, we wake up again, we eat some more and then we sleep again. Dont you ever want something... more?"

Feliciano blinked slowly and tilted his head to one side, confused. Alfred was about to open his mouth to try and explain when-

"Alfred, Feliciano! Are you two still, like, watching those fish? I, like, dont get it at all. Totally bor-ing."

Alfred rolled over onto his stomach, glad that somebody understood how he felt, and also slightly amused by the new cats appearance. His fur was a yellowish colour, and his eyes were bright green, but these were traits that Alfred was used to. No- it was the large pink bow adoring the cats tail that made him smile. Kiku obviously understood the odd little cat perfectly.

"You too?" exclaimed Feliciano in dismay. Alfred laughed.

"Obviously. Coz Feliks is way more awesome and heroic than you could ever be!"

Feliks giggled, but Feliciano looked a little upset. His ears drooped and he hung his head, tail swishing between his legs.

"Aw, come on. I was only kidding!" whined Alfred, and Feliciano brightened instantly.

"Well, if you two don't want to play this, the lets play something else!" he mewed enthusiastically.

"Totally," said Feliks, equally enthusiastically, "Like, lets play grooming parlours!"

"Ve... can't we just eat pasta?"

"You know we, cant, like, eat that stuff, Feli."

"B-but its so yummy!"

"It's totally bad for us! We either play grooming parlours or we could, like, go find some of the others and ask them."

"I dont know... I feel sleepy..."

"Like, what does Alfred think? Alfred?"

Alfred, who had been staring out of the window the entire time they had been talking, now turned back to them, an odd expression in his gaze. His deep blue eyes reflected the sunlight dazzlingly for a second, making him look ridiculously clich, and this somehow seemed to fit him. Feliciano shivered, and Feliks looked almost excited.

"I want to go outside," he said simply.

* * *

_...And thats it for chapter one. (Extremely, unreasonably, ridiculously) Short, yes. Hopefully(?) the next one will be (much, much) longer, but I felt it needed to end there, so it ends there. Maybe you should consider it a sort of... prologue? I dont know. Anyway, please review! Please..._

_~Dark Mouse_


	2. Dark Gathering

**Author's note: **_Well hello again! I meant to continue writing my original story today, but I just couldn't keep away from our lovely little kitty friends any longer~ So, here you go- chapter two, and its longer than the first one! *Does joyful dance*_

_I still don't own it..._

_PS. I'm a slow updater, just as a warning. I get distracteeeed. DX_

_

* * *

_

**However much they fight**

**Chapter two**

"_You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats." _~Proverb

* * *

"We're, like, _totally_ not doing this."

Alfred laughed and swung round to face his friend, who was smirking mischievously. Behind them came Feliciano, who was trembling from his ears to his tail, and had his eyes squeezed tight shut. The three cats were standing on a wall- the wall that ran around the edge of the garden- and seemed to have varying levels of confidence about this. Feliks was mildly amused and a little overexcited, Feliciano was scared out of his wits and Alfred was simply being, well... Alfred.

"I want to go home," whined Feliciano. The strand of fur on his head waved pathetically as a sudden breeze knocked him a little off-course, and he squeaked in terror, his eyes widening. Alfred waved his tail dismissively.

"You keep _saying_ that, Feli, but you haven't gone yet."

"But I can't leave! You're my friends!"

"Like, shut up or put up, then," interjected Feliks, ear twitching in annoyance, "Look, we totally do not have time for this. Like, what if Kiku comes home? He'll be all 'ohmigod they're running away!' and we'll have to be all 'meow meow purr' and stuff, and that would, like, totally not equal a happy Feliks."

"Yeah, yeah, nice speech Fee. But it isn't really getting us anywhere anytime soon, so shift, dudes! Keep moving!" mewed Alfred. Feliks rolled his eyes at Feliciano as the blue-eyed cat turned away, but strutted a little faster all the same.

For a while, all three cats were silent, aside from an occasional mew of terror as Feliciano's grip slipped a little, or an excited exclamation from Alfred as something flew past them. The shadows of the trees flickered in the summer light. Overhead, a wood pigeon cooed, and the blue of the sky bounced off its wings in a way that made it look almost transparent. The air buzzed with the sounds of the city.

Suddenly, Alfred stopped.

"What's that smell?"

Feliks, who had narrowly avoided bumping into him, stared at him crossly.

"Like, I don't know. Flowers?"

"No, it's weirder than that..."

"Maybe it's, like, you. Have you washed lately? You'll never be as fabulous as me unless you-"

"Shaddup, I'm thinking!"

"Okay, okay, I get it!"

After a short while, Alfred was about to shake his head and continue walking when Feliks said,

"Like, what's up with Feli?"

Alfred twisted his head to look at the smaller cat, and tilted his head in confusion. Feliciano was lying flat against the wall, trembling, his ears pressed down against his scalp. This was an overreaction, even for him. Another waft of the strange scent reached them, and as he took in the smell, the steadily darkening shades of blue above and the cat squatting before him, something growled. And finally, it hit him.

Dog.

The whole place reeked of it- the very air was filled with the unmistakable scent of canine, and Alfred, though he would never admit it, was afraid. He glanced around frantically, but there was no sign of the creature. His fur bristling, he let out a hiss.

And something flew at him, knocking him to the ground.

* * *

Arthur was exhausted. The previous night's attack had gone terribly, and the entire gang was feeling disheartened. The mission itself had been at least a little successful- they had managed to determine the location of Ivan's hostage- but the injuries sustained had been ridiculous, considering the nature of the situation. Francis had a nasty gash on his leg, and the black and white cat, Roderich, had managed to get one of his ears ripped almost to pieces. His mate Elizaveta was currently passed out from blood loss. Arthur himself was relatively unscathed, save for a few slight scratches across his flanks, but he felt this was more due to luck than any particular skill of his. He feared that if the situation failed to improve, he might begin to lose his position as gang leader.

He stared up at the sky. The day was losing its light fast, and he could smell the nighttime closing in, flooding all his senses a new kind of clarity. Perhaps he could start again, he thought. Who said he had to be a street cat? He could give up the fights and the tragedy to go and live with some kind old lady, preferably one that owned an armchair, and spend the rest of his days lapping warm milk from china bowls. He knew he could. And yet at the same time, he knew he _wouldn't_. And perhaps that was what made all the difference, in the end.

A sudden yowl from a neighbouring garden made him start. It was accompanied by a high, rough barking, and his immediate thought was to let the poor cat learn for itself, but as another screech tore apart the air he found himself running towards the sound, his tail bristling with adrenaline. He scrambled up the wall and down the other side-then stopped, trying to take in the scenario before him.

Instead of some puny housecat in serious need of help, the cat he was supposed to be rescuing appeared to be coping quite all right by itself. It was almost completely white, save for a ring of black fur around its neck, and there were two strange black markings under its eyes, which, Arthur thought with a frown, made it look rather... rather harmless, actually. It had its teeth firmly latched onto the neck of a rather small, frightened-looking puppy, which was trying at best it could to snap its teeth at the cat's neck. The dog was already covered in scratches. The cat, on the other hand, had sustained a single bite wound at the base of its tail, which seemed not to bother it much as it wrestled with the snarling creature beneath it.

"Like, are you going to help him or what?" came a voice from above him. Arthur looked up. He could just make out the silhouette of two other cats standing on the wall, surveying the scene but apparently reluctant to take action. Arthur found this question therefore to be rather hypocritical, but realized that considering he had come to help anyway he might as well join in the scuffle. With a decisive lash of his tail, he jumped at the dog, sinking his teeth into its leg and holding on for dear life. The poor dog gave a yelp of surprise at this second attacker-as a light snapped on inside the house.

The three animals froze. Arthur detached himself from the puppy and slunk backwards a little. The other cat quickly cottoned on and followed suit as the little white dog sat down and began thumping its tail on the ground. The door of the house slammed open.

"What's happening?" whispered the other cat to Arthur. Arthur stared at the light streaming from the doorway, trying to stay perfectly still. He watched as a human child in a pajamas and a blue sailor's hat stepped out and walked across the lawn towards the dog, which whined guiltily and tilted its head to one side. The child sat down beside it and scratched its ears.

"What's the matter, Hanatamago? You're covered in scratches!"

The dog simply wagged its tail apologetically and reached up to lick the boy's face. The boy giggled and patted it firmly on the head, his question seemingly forgotten, and then picked it up to carry it back inside, readjusting his hat as he went. The door shut and Arthur breathed out heavily.

"Ve, are you two okay?" came a somewhat shaky mew from above them. Arthur looked up, and realised almost distantly that it had already become completely dark.

"I'm fine, duh! I'm way too heroic to let such a puny mutt hurt me! I'm not sure about this guy, though," piped up the cat beside Arthur. Arthur felt a sudden rush of annoyance towards this new acquaintance of his, and he swivelled one ear backwards in disapproval.

"I'll have you know my name is Arthur, and I'm fine, thank you very much. And you're welcome; saving your sorry arse was no trouble at all, but thanks for thanking me so nicely."

"I was doing fine by myself, dude! I didn't even need your help in the first place!"

Despite knowing he was right, hearing this still made Arthur want to scratch him.

"I'm Alfred, by the way. I'm a hero! And over there,"-here, he waved his tail at the two cats on the wall- "are my friends Feliks and Feliciano. We're having an adventure!"

Arthur stared at Alfred incredulously. An adventure? He looked helplessly at Feliks, who simply flicked his rail in a gesture that suggested 'whatever'.

"...You call getting beaten up by a dog an adventure?"

"Yup, pretty much!"

Arthur gave him an odd look, and then dropped it, his whiskers drooping in exhaustion.

"I'm Arthur. I suppose I should say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I won't, because to be honest you're already getting on my nerves. Now excuse me, but I've got to go and get some sleep before I pass out. Good night."

With that, he turned around and leapt back onto the wall. He turned and gave a last glare at the three housecats before disappearing over the other side, leaving Alfred pissed off and a little stunned.

"...Wow. That was like, totally not cool." muttered Feliks. And really, Alfred couldn't agree more.

So he surprised himself when he realised that he was already running after Arthur into the night.

* * *

_... And that's it for chapter two! It's short again... oh dear. Yes, the boy was indeed Sealand. He might reappear as a cat later, as might the other human mentioned, Japan! Look forward to it... tee hee~ Please review, and thank you so much to all those who already did! _


End file.
